The Sebastopol Office of the Investigative Committee has finished criminal proceedings against 32 people, including residents of Simferopol, Sebastopol and citizens of Ukraine. Depending on the role of each one, they are charged with illegal gambling by an organized group making profit on a very large scale under Part 3, items “a” and “b” of Article 171.2 and organization of and membership in a criminal community under Parts 1 and 2 of Article 210 of the RF Penal Code.

In the evening of 23 October 2015, investigators together with agents of the Crimea and Sebastopol Offices of the Federal Security Service carried out a massive operation targeted at disrupting underground gambling clubs on the peninsula.

The investigators have established that the accomplices set up a number of illicit computer gambling clubs from September 2014 to October 2015. They took all possible secrecy measures: closed clubs with metal doors, security, CCTV cameras on the entrance to identify patrons. The special operation busted 16 underground gambling rooms. The investigators seized some 200 computers. The illicit profit exceeded 70 million rubles.

At the present time 19 of the accused are reading through more than 80 files of the criminal case. 7 of the accused made plea deals so their cases were severed to form a separate lawsuit and will be tried under special procedure. 6 more of the accomplices are wanted.